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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22665214">The 74th Annual Hunger Games</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zulera301/pseuds/Zulera301'>Zulera301</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>74th Hunger Games, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Careers (Hunger Games), Cato/Clove Friendship, Character Study, Coping, Gen, Hunger Games, Hunger Games Tributes, Hunger Games-Typical Death/Violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:55:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22665214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zulera301/pseuds/Zulera301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Every revolution begins with a spark… but without that tiny spark, even the greatest conflagration may never come to be. One simple decision… One small, simple decision changed everything. The impact Katniss Everdeen had in the 74th Annual Hunger Games was enormous, both in the games themselves and for the future of Panem… so what would have happened if Katniss had not volunteered?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to the 74th Annual Hunger Games! This fic takes place in the same AU that my work "The Victors' Chronicles" takes place in, where Katniss never volunteered for Prim. This fic both shows what happened and why, and then goes into detail about how the games went without Katniss as the literal game-changer that she was. This fic was originally written and posted on FFN back in 2014, but I've gone and spiced it up a little, while keeping the overall premise the same. Some events may play out similar to the books, but there's going to be enough differences to keep things interesting, while also showing a human side to some of the more dangerous characters of the 74th Hunger Games.<br/>Happy Reading!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which the tributes of the 74th Annual Hunger Games are reaped.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
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</p><p>For the 74th time in Panem's history, the Capitol and the twelve districts of Panem celebrated what was colloquially known as "Reaping Day". Perhaps 'celebrate' might have been too strong of a word in some cases. For 23 boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18, this was essentially a condemnation to death. For districts like 1 and 2, where there were around a dozen victors, the levels of confidence exuded were much higher than in the likes of Districts like 12, 9, or 10, which only had 2 (Districts 12 and 9) or 3 (District 10) victors in these last 73 years. Other districts that fared somewhat better, such as '5 or '11 (both of which had 6 victors thus far) did not share the same enthusiasm of sending their kids to their deaths the way District 1 and District 2 did.</p><p>But, there was a reason that District 1 and District 2 were called 'Career Districts". They trained boys and girls for the Hunger Games, essentially making it their careers. While the ethics behind this practice were debatable, even the Capitol turned a blind eye to it; rather enjoying that there were enthusiastic tributes that would keep the games interesting. In almost any of the other districts, volunteering was considered suicide, and thus was very rare in some cases, and virtually nonexistent in others.</p><p>Thus it was, when 18-year-old Thresh Dakara and 12-year-old Rue Keniye were picked as District 11's tributes for the 74th Annual Hunger Games, there was a somber silence that hung over the crowd which was almost enough to create awkward tension. Instead of applauding the way the escorts all customarily requested (this was more protocol rather than anything though; for none in Districts 6-12 would ever cheer the death of their own), many people raised their hands in a 3-fingered salute. It had originated in District 12, but over the last few years, some closeness between tributes from '11 and '12 had allowed the sign to be shared between the two more freely.</p><p>There was a moment of resounding silence once again as the two tributes were escorted inside the Justice Building. Thresh and Rue were acquainted with each other, both of them working different parts of the fields and orchards around the district, but neither one was very talkative: Rue mostly just sang or whistled, while Thresh was the type to state or answer things in as few words as possible.</p><p>There was an hour between the reaping and when the tributes would be carted off to the trains and subsequently shipped off to the Capitol to begin the end of their lives. Thresh and Rue’s families only took about half of that, and then a few friends came in to say their goodbyes. Thresh and Rue actually spent the last 10 minutes or so of this time together, looking each other over without a word.</p><p>It was like there was a certain level of understanding that appeared between these two that was so masterfully understood that neither one felt the need to speak. Maybe they were misreading each other entirely. Maybe they were operating on identical wavelengths. The Peacekeepers that came to escort them to the transports were slightly skeptical to see the two tributes sitting across from each other, their arms crossed. Rue’s little legs didn’t even touch the ground until she hopped up. But, such was how things were.</p><p>Rue Keniye was not the only 12-year-old with unfortunate luck, however. A district away in the square of District 12, Primrose Everdeen was called to the stage. To the surprise of everyone present, one of the other girls exploded, pushing her way through the crowds to approach the stage. While her initial intention had been to volunteer in Primrose’s place, Katniss Everdeen got particularly rough with the Peacekeepers that tried to restrain her, even going as far as using her elbows, knees, and at one point, even biting one’s shoulder.</p><p>“NO!” she bellowed again, “Gerroff… Lemme… I volunteer! Let me take her place! I volunteer as tribute!”</p><p>But whether it was because the Peacekeepers had had enough of this belligerent young woman or if she had already broken enough rules and protocol to require it, she was escorted into the justice building, literally kicking and screaming. If not for the tenseness of the situation and the rather horrified look on little Primrose’s face, the situation might have been almost comical, considering that even after the Justice Building doors had shut, there was a loud banging noise and a scuffle, as well as a sharp yell that clearly belonged to Katniss. It ultimately took sedatives, ropes around her hands and ankles as they put her in a chair, and a cloth around her mouth to finally subdue the enraged teen, and even then, she was still fuming as she sat there immobilized.</p><p>“Well,” Escort Effie Trinket tried to diffuse the situation, “that was certainly quite an incident… Now… for the boys…”</p><p>The male tribute from District 12 that year was a strapping young man by the name of Peeta Mellark. Similar to in District 11, there was silence after the names were recited, and most of the crowd raised their hands in a somber salute. Katniss was given permission to say goodbye to her sister, although there were angry red marks around her wrists and on her ankles just above her shoes, as well as a fierce cut on her right cheek that was still bleeding. Nothing she tried could get the Peacekeepers or officiators to allow her to switch places with Primrose at this point, however.</p><p>Across the country in District 1, virtually the opposite was the case. Instead of people fearing their name would get picked, there were dozens of boys and girls lined up raring to volunteer. There were so many of them that it was basically a scramble for the stage where the potential tributes brawled their way to the front. There were no real rules about this, but few ever spent much time trying to beat someone down, as that was precious time that they could be scrambling for the stage instead. This year's picks were a lanky boy named Marvel and a slender, attractive lady named Glimmer. While both of them almost seemed a bit airheaded like their escort (being an airhead was part of an escort's job description though), they clearly had some ability to back themselves up considering that they had outdone the other boys and girls of District 1.</p><p>District 2 was almost identical to District 1 except perhaps a bit more vicious. From the stage, their bubbly escort Athena was mustering the tributes together in preparation for the race to the stage. The boys and girls were beginning to split up into their respective groups, but that didn't stop a few from passing a few words to each other before the split.</p><p>"If you don't win this year, Cato, I'm going to have no choice but to mock you," a smaller girl teased. "It's your last year, so it's now or never."</p><p>"There'll be more than a few black eyes by the time I reach that stage," Cato insisted, "and what about you, Clove? Are you in it to win it?"</p><p>"If I wasn't," the girl named Clove retorted, "I wouldn't be here." Before she could say much more, the two of them parted ways, although exchanged glances as Clove and the other girls got into position.</p><p>The scramble to the stage was about as chaotic as one might assume, with brawls breaking out between some of Panem's strongest children as they raced and battled to become this year's tributes for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. After a few moments of zigzagging through other girls and striking a few others with alarming precision, Clove flipped up onto the stage and was named the female tribute for District 2, despite a few aggressive attacks on her fellow would-be tributes. She got an approving nod from Elroy and Enobaria, the current pair of mentors for District 2 that year. Technically only one victor was required to mentor tributes, although many from District 2 took pride in having a 2nd victor there to bolster their egos.</p><p>Clove's eyes returned to the group of boys who were now preparing to fight to the stage. Many of them were fairly gigantic, and so singling out Cato was not very easy at first. However, it was clear which one was vicious enough to be Cato once they were in action. He was pushing and shoving and punching his way past the others, before clambering up to the stage, raising his arms triumphantly and giving a battle yell as if to proclaim his victory.</p><p>Athena did not seem to mind any of this, and neither did any of District 2, and so once Cato and Clove were perched atop the stage, she made the announcement.</p><p>"Ladies and Gentlemen! Our tributes for the 74th Annual Hunger Games: Cato Torino and Clove Kazera!"</p><p>In this district there actually was some cheering and chanting. There was a lot of district pride in District 2, and Clove and Cato egged it on by shouting and throwing their hands into the air.</p><p>Even in these districts though, the tributes were allowed to say their final goodbyes, and so they had the same hour of time inside the District 2 Justice Building where their parents, friends, or siblings would show up (if they wished to) to bid their son, daughter, brother, or sister goodbye. Only two relatives showed up—Cato's mother and father. Clove's parents were alive, but had not chosen to show up; and her older sister Chive was serving as a Peacekeeper out in the fringes of District 12. She had not, however, been involved in the altercation with Katniss Everdeen.</p><p>It very subtly bothered Clove that her parents hadn’t even showed up to congratulate her—or even show up to the reaping at all. Watching the reaping was mandatory by Capitol Law, but that was what television was for unless you were between the ages of 12 and 18.</p><p>Clove flipped a coin between her fingers as she idled her time while she overheard Cato say his goodbyes. It didn't bother her, per se, that her parents were not even interested in their own daughter to see her realize what was surely her finest achievement, but… okay, maybe it irked her just a little. Cato's parents seemed so affectionate and proud of their young man who was going to bring them and their district honor and glory, and perhaps even fame. Cato Torino was certainly a valid threat, and he would surely have very high odds.</p><p>Clove sighed softly, making it sound like she was simply disinterested, and waited for the Peacekeepers to escort them to the trains. In a way it really was a drag, waiting for this hour to pass where no one came to say goodbye. The few friends Clove had from the training academies that came to say goodbye only took about a total of 15 minutes, leaving 45 minutes for her to memorize every stitch and detail of her vest, blouse, skirt, and shoes. The designs on the walls didn’t interest her half as much, and she wished that she had a knife to play with or something, but she settled for studying the scuff marks on her unusually fancy outfit; marks obtained when she had gotten into fights with other would-be volunteers.</p><p>Unlike in other districts, the Peacekeepers in District 2 were fairly friendly about informing the tributes their time was up, knowing that volunteer tributes were not about to try and make a break for it or cause a scene or anything, and unsurprisingly, Cato and Clove both went with them without any incident.</p><p>They were joined by Athena when they boarded the train, her excited rambling going over their heads as they sat down, still looking a bit roughed up from the brawling they had done on the way to the District Stage. Despite their significant difference in height, both of them were smirking contentedly as they silently got comfortable and the train pulled out of the District 2 station.</p><p>“Here we are then, Cato,” Clove smirked at her partner. “Nicely done.”<br/>“Nicely done yourself,” Cato fist-bumped the smaller girl, “nice vest, by the way.”</p><p>“You like it?” She beamed, “I figured I’d look cute one last time before I start dressing like the psychopathic murderer I was always meant to be.”<br/>“May the odds be ever in your favour,” Cato teased. Clove simply laughed.</p><p>Cato Torino and Clove Kazera knew full well what they were getting into, and had no regrets. They had been training their whole lives for this moment, and now it was time to prove their worth, as they entered the 74th Annual Hunger Games in a dangerously high-risk, high-return endeavor for honour and courage, where winning meant fame and fortune; while losing…</p><p>…losing meant certain death.</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which the tributes get to know some of their potential allies and potential enemies.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This rewrite is going to add a bit of extra dimension to Elroy and Enobaria along with the other tweaks, although Clove and Cato will remain the main focus. There's already synergy forming between certain tributes though, but there is also some ominous foreshadowing.<br/>Happy Reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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<p>Each of the twelve trains that were en route to the Capitol carrying tributes to their almost certain doom almost all had characters reacting in different ways. The quirky and quiet District 5 pair was lost in their own thoughts, musing and mentally strategizing about what they would do when they were tossed into the arena. The pair from District 1 were enthusiastically chatting it up with their bright-eyed and bushy-tailed escort who was probably even more excited about it than they were. Both of them ooh'd and ahh'd at watching the reapings from District 2, commenting on the boy and girl that they suspected would be their future allies.</p>
<p>"Cato Torino and Clove Kazera…" Glimmer let the names roll off her tongue, "Cato's a hunk. Clove looks… wild."<br/>"She's gotta be a powerhouse if someone that small can make it to the front," Marvel pointed out, considering that Clove was a good foot or so shorter than her partner. "She'll be a fun ally."</p>
<p>"I hope we get competition then," Glimmer gave a melodramatic sigh, "All these stories from Cashmere and Gloss about how formidable Districts 11 and 12 were in their days make me kinda bummed that we got a couple of 12-year-olds this year."</p>
<p>"Their partners might be trouble yet," Marvel nudged her. "Nothing we can't handle though."</p>
<p>Indeed, the District 12 pair were both particularly somber about the experience given their miserable track record. That, and those who knew Primrose knew she was no fighter. At best she was a healer, which meant she could save herself from dying excruciatingly painful, at best. Peeta Mellark slightly more of a chance considering that he possessed decent raw strength, although his attitude towards the games might cost him—or rather, what he promised to do.</p>
<p>"I know that only one of us can come out of this thing alive" he told Prim, "but I'm going to protect you to my dying breath."</p>
<p>"That's… thank you…" Prim sighed, resting her head against the table and her arms, almost as if she had accepted that she would probably die a messy and horrible death.</p>
<p>Thus, Peeta's remark was not much of a comforting gesture for the small girl who was almost certain that she was going to die, but it was better than the alternative of saying nothing at all. If nothing else, Peeta felt morally obligated to protect this girl. Her sister, after all, had been a woman whom Peeta had had his eyes on for years… except now it was too late to tell her personally. If they managed to defy all odds and bring home a District 12 victor… he would try to make sure it was her. If not… he would try to bring himself home, for similarly obvious reasons. If there was one thing to say about this young man, it was that he was a reliable ally and friend to those he cared for—and his was a heart that was far too big to become a murderer in a sadistic game such as this.</p>
<p>Regardless, Peeta was fiercely determined. It took him a while to finally wake up their mentor Haymitch, a lone, drunken man who had won the games nearly some 25 years ago, but he was fairly straightforward about what he wanted. He wanted to free the man from the long, dreary cycle of mentoring that he had been stuck in for more than two decades. That was what he would get out of the situation. Peeta on the other hand, would come out with his life, or would come out of it ensuring that Prim had survived. Still, as determined as he was to win, every time he rewatched the footage of the reapings in District 2 he couldn't help but accept that the odds were not in his favour.</p>
<p>The pair from District 2 were already strategizing with each other, talking something about synergy, and how they were going to dominate the field.</p>
<p>"Your strength and my speed," Clove twirled a butterknife in her hands as if it was a real throwing knife, "one of us is going home. Any guesses on who?"</p>
<p>"Me of course," Cato laughed, "But you'd be a decent enough 2nd."</p>
<p>"Oh, I definitely hope that you and I are the final two." Clove smirked, "but come now. You and I both know that I'm totally going to win this thing."</p>
<p>"Don't push your luck with me, Kazera," Cato warned, although the attitude and atmosphere of the situation showed that this was, for the most part, in good fun. Elroy and Enobaria, who sat nearby and watched the spectacle as they ate (and drank), found it mildly amusing.</p>
<p>"See," Elroy spoke up as he watched Cato and Clove playfully bicker among themselves on who would kick whose ass at the end of the games, "What a lot of the others don't realize is that this is totally nothing personal. It's just business."</p>
<p>"Good business," Enobaria corrected him, "this is not about personal grudges or any other sort of dickery. This is about winning it for the district. Friends come and go, and District 2 understands that. Killing is fine and dandy and all, but shit, it wasn't like I ripped that kid's throat out with my teeth because I wanted to—I did it because it seemed practical at the time."</p>
<p>"Well look where it got you," Elroy quipped, elbowing her. "The 62nd Victor's throne."</p>
<p>"That's why I've got no regrets. If Cato and Clove end up having to kill each other to secure the 74th Victor's Crown, that's fine by me. It's just good business."</p>
<p>"I'm not sure that they have the same distant, professional relationship with each other that you did with your partner Marius though," Elroy pointed out.</p>
<p>"Shh," Enobaria shook her head, "As much as I hate admitting that I care about their emotional well-being, that's something I try not to think about. Sure they act like they could turn on each other easy-peasy here and now… but if that's what it comes down to, it's going to gut one of them emotionally, and the other one literally."</p>
<p>"Careful," Elroy put an arm around her as they both watched the rather jovial expressions of their tributes, even if they had tuned out their words, "if you're not a killing machine every waking moment of your life someone's going to think you've gone soft and weak on us, En."<br/>"You know how much I hate when you remind me of that," Enobaria growled. "Fine. I'll keep this damn façade up for just a while longer."</p>
<p>Perhaps this was the common misunderstanding of the career tributes. They were passionate and deadly, for sure, but most of them didn't volunteer so they could kill kids; most of them volunteered so that they could bring themselves and their families the fame and glory associated with winning. Even the mighty Cato and the vicious Clove that had won that honor this year, were not so interested in finding new ways to kill people (like some sadistic tributes were some years); they just wanted to carve their way to victory by any means necessary.</p>
<p>And then there was also District 11. When they had said their goodbyes to their families, they had both spoken somberly and minimally. Now that they were on the train, it was as if they had sewed their lips shut given the silence that resounded in the air.</p>
<p>Rue drummed her fingers on the table as she sat across from Thresh, her cheek in her other hand and her elbow on the table. Thresh responded by drumming his fingers. Rue repeated the action, and Thresh did as well a second later. After a few moments she began drumming faster, and Thresh kept up, getting faster and faster until they both emitted a chuckle. It was strangely ironic that the two seemed to be fostering a relationship with each other without even saying a word. Perhaps it was a profound understanding that one or both of them would end up dying, or maybe they did not want to get too close for other reasons, but it did seem like the two of them were going to remain on friendly enough terms with each other. When their mentor had offered to show them the reaping footage, they both simply nodded. He didn't seem to mind their silence, and so he put on the footage for them. They both seemed to be mentally evaluating their odds, sometimes exchanging glances with each other on who they might try to target first or who to avoid.</p>
<p>District 11 was quiet and clever. Years of being surrounded by some of the most brutal and oppressive Peacekeepers in Panem had helped silence them verbally, although they knew other ways to communicate. Despite starvation (an ironic fate given that they were literally surrounded by tons of food that they themselves produced), they knew plenty of clever tricks, and were a notably resilient bunch. Despite what its poverty might have suggested, District 11 usually fared decently in the games.</p>
<p>And yet at the end of the day, whether from District 2 or District 11, these tributes were still living, breathing boys and girls that fought to the death in a sadistic arena that was a breeding ground for horrible psychological trauma and worse. This wasn't lost on Enobaria despite her sinister reputation.</p>
<p>Whatever the case, all dozen of the tribute trains were heading in the same direction: The Capitol. That was where the pre-games ceremonies would take place, and that was where the tributes would make their first impressions. Even as they travelled, the various escorts were planning on how to present the tributes to the stylists that they would each meet, and thus it was a matter of presentation. Besides… there was a short walk from the train station to the Tribute Tower, and so the tributes also needed a way to briefly present themselves at this point.</p>
<p>Marvel and Glimmer from District 1 had already decided on a more visually appealing approach; while their career counterparts over in District 2 were going to show off as powerful warriors. Districts 5 and 6 had both decided to take a more mysterious approach, while over in District 3 the tributes were going to portray themselves as rather clever. Thresh and Rue from District 11 had (unsurprisingly wordlessly) agreed on going for an appropriately silent and collected impression, which was a vibe that they had already mastered, it seemed. Even District 12 had come up with a presentation strategy involving courage (admittedly mostly from Peeta's end) and steadfastness.</p>
<p>Needless to say, the Capitol was practically in a frenzy with excitement as the trains began pulling in. Enthusiastic crowds clamored to see their new tributes for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Even the District 12 pair got cheers and chants going their way. Before the Capitol could properly know its tributes, most of them expressed excitement at seeing them for the first (and potentially last) time.</p>
<p>Cato and Clove found themselves sharing an elevator with a dark-skinned pair that were similar to them physically—District 11. The boy was a large, muscular fellow, while the girl appeared tiny and agile. For a brief moment there was an awkward silence, and in this moment, Clove's eyes met those of little Rue, who merely waggled her eyebrows and smiled innocently as the elevator moved on up.</p>
<p>They were not together very long before Cato and Clove's 2nd-floor stop came up, where they exited the elevator without incident. Rue and Thresh crossed their arms as the doors closed and the elevator car took off towards the 11th floor, but the two careers thought little of it.</p>
<p>"Think they've got anything on us?" Cato chuckled as he sat down in a comfortable seat as Clove joined him. "Or do you give them 38 seconds in the bloodbath?"</p>
<p>"Oh, they've definitely got nothing on us," Clove smirked in agreement, "District 11 might survive the bloodbath, but then that just means it'll be the thrill of the hunt once we track them down. The others though? Like Districts 12, '9, and '10? Totally fodder. We'll be scoring plenty of kills in the opening minutes."</p>
<p>The bloodbath would be their game. They would seize the cornucopia and control the most useful weapons and resources, and also use it as a base of operations as they hunted down the tributes that survived the bloodbath. That was just the way things went, and the career districts never questioned this status quo. Given how often the odds were in their favour, they ultimately had little reason to do so anyways.</p>
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